Friday, September 26, 2008

The first grove of Valencia orange trees in California was planted in 1880 by R.H. Gilman on land which then belonged to the Placentia Fruit Company, and which now is part of California State University Fullerton. The Native Daughters of the Golden West placed a historical plaque on the site in 1934, which stated that "the trees are still in flourishing condition." However, it appears that younger Valencia trees have been planted to take their place. The structure in the background is CSUF's Humanities Building..What do "Night Court," supercharged engines, magic tricks and County Supervisor Chris Norby have in common? An articlein today's Register explains the historical connections and how it all ties into local landmark status for a 1919 Craftsman bungalow in Fullerton..Phil Brigandi has updated the history of early Knott's Berry Farmon his website, changing the focus of the piece. "It's so easy to talk about all the things that have changed at Knott's Berry Farm," he writes, "but I thought it would be interesting to talk about some of the things that are still there -- and maybe get people looking around a little more while they're waiting in line for the next 'thrill' ride." Accordingly, Phil also provides links to "before and after" photos of many of Knott's early attractions.

3 comments:

Byron Flynt
said...

Thanks for the always interesting photos and descriptions, your blog has been one of my favorite internet stops for some time now. This is the first time I have commented on one of your posts but felt I might have something to add for a change as I can specifically remember often sitting by the plaque on this planter in the mid 1970's (when I was attending classes at CSUF). The reason I remember it so distinctly is that the tree identified by the plaque as being the last of the original orange grove located on the property was by that time nearly (if not completely) dead, making the plastic oranges that were wired onto its bare limbs look especially silly. The healthy tree pictured in this photo is obviously not the tree that was there in the mid-1970's.

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